LIVE - same singer, new band

2-feign-reluctance

Read an interview with Chris Shinn recently about his new AMAZING solo album where he said the lead singer for LIVE fired the entire band earlier this year and is out with a new band. This after they let go of Chris and brought the OG singer years back? Man, what the fuck!? Wondering if they will continue the catalog reissue. Was really hoping for them to revisit Secret Samahdi but who knows. Anyway, the interview was not a flattering account of the band either which sucks because I love their music! 

2-feign-reluctance

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/chris-shinn-live-ed-kowalczyk-1234621472/amp/

CarryTheZero

I’ll read this. What a bummer. They were grade school friends if I remember right. 

Loved seeing them live for years,but I fell off a bit after V. The rap style lyrics and referencing themselves during the songs got to be a bit much for me.

Remember seeing them first time at a little field for students at UGA for Throwing Copper. They were just beginning to get huge.

JT167846

Absolutely love their first four albums. I remember bands fell off for me after their fourth, Korn and Offspring being others. I think them reuniting with Ed was a bit Mickey Mouse as Chad Gracey didn't even play drums on the Local 717 EP. Apparently Chad Taylor was fired proper, and Pat and Chad Gracey hadn't signed contracts to tour so Ed took other guys out. Think he owns the controlling stake now-maybe he made sure to do so as a condition of rejoining.

The Turn is awesome. Best Live album since TDTH. Thoroughly recommended-it has that dark brooding quality a lot of my favourite early Live songs do.

2-feign-reluctance

Agreed about The Turn! I picked up the CD and listen to it on occasion. 

Poncier

Saw this version of the band last night. Wasn't going to spend money on them after reading about the lineup situation. But got freebies (casino show). Band was actually very good, but really should be labeled Ed Kowalczyk solo performing Live material.

Ther's also info that recently came to light about the band's (not Ed, the other 3) former business partner that appears to be a driving force in how things ended up as they are.

A blog post from Taylor last week:

The Reckoning: William T. Hynes. In July 2019, we were days away from… | by Chad Taylor | Nov, 2022 | Medium

And that business partner now suing Taylor, Gracey and Dahlmeier:

Bill Hynes and Live band member exchange new allegations of fraud, theft (yorkdispatch.com)

mookieblalock

2-feign-reluctance said:

Read an interview with Chris Shinn recently about his new AMAZING solo album where he said the lead singer for LIVE fired the entire band earlier this year and is out with a new band. This after they let go of Chris and brought the OG singer years back? Man, what the fuck!? Wondering if they will continue the catalog reissue. Was really hoping for them to revisit Secret Samahdi but who knows. Anyway, the interview was not a flattering account of the band either which sucks because I love their music! 

Thanks for sharing this. So sad to see what Live became. They were such a big band for me growing up transitioning to adulthood, just like many here. Not a good look for any of them.

mfc2006

Wow...crazy! I had no idea.

2-feign-reluctance

Man, so good to hear an apology from Chad Taylor to Chris Shinn. More context here and thanks poster for putting this up. What a fucking mess. I will always hold their work in high regard in my life though. Those first three records, fuck man, just so so so good. 

Tim Simmons

This is funny.

JT167846

No love for TDTH? I chuck that in too. Though it's near the limit of tolerance for Ed's histrionics IMO-his falsetto can get on my wick sometimes. Good to read CT's response too. Man sounds like an absolute clusterfuck. Those lawsuits Shinn mentioned look pretty well corroborated.

2-feign-reluctance

Tim Simmons said:

This is funny.

Not all of it. Did you read Chad Taylor’s post? 

Tim Simmons

No. Just the RS interview.

Tim Simmons

bonkers. 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/live-alt-rock-band-crime-lawsuits-1234677011/

Tim Simmons

Still sticking by "This is funny" comment. 

The band Live are also investors in a fiber optic cable company. One of them willingly attends the AVN awards and has covid conspiracy theories. 

2-feign-reluctance

What a fall. Ugh. 

pjhawks

Read that story. Wild.  Saw them in 2018 opening for Counting Crows and they were great. 

hrd2imgn

Sounds a lot like Guns and Roses

JT167846

One more shitty thing is they were all pumping the reunion with Ed and the Local 717 EP as the original lineup back together but Chad Gracey didn't even play drums on that EP.

mfc2006

wow - crazy story.

pjl44

After reading that article I completely empathize with Ed. Those guys sound like total chaos.

JT167846

Ed disappeared up his own arse after TDTH and pretty much rendered the next three albums solo stuff. Subjective but I think they went to crap after that. Stories of lead singer bonuses erratic behaviour and music the other three didn't believe in let alone help write were why they split in the first place I'd say. Looks like the other three's relationships fell to pieces after that. And for Ed to come back and now look like the sane one-hell we all learn from our cock-ups as we get older but now he's probably like "What the hell did I come back to?"

eeriepadave

Does it really matter? Most of these types of bands from the 90's don't have most of their original members anyway (Bush, Filter, Stabbing Westward, Sponge, etc....) And their last "good" album they put out was arguably  "The Distance to Here" and even I don't think it was that's great. Still kinda weird story though i'll admit.

Poncier

pjl44 said:

After reading that article I completely empathize with Ed. Those guys sound like total chaos.

Yeah. Would like to hear Ed's take on it, but clearly he has no interest in adding to the story, just soldiering on with music.

As I stated above, I saw the new version of the band in November and they were good, but basically just an Ed solo show. Did do a blistering version of Stage so that alone made it worth going.

Merkin Baller

I was never much of a Live fan, but my interest was piqued having seen the Chris Shinn interview a while back (I met him some years ago after a Unified Theory gig... nice guy). 

This new Rolling Stone article is f'ing bonkers. How smooth of a talker must that Hines have been to swindle them as much as he did? Or were they just that dumb / full of themselves to be taken the way they were? 

Crazy stuff. 

Tim Simmons

I think its possible everyone involved sucks. 

Tim Simmons

Also, great example of aging as a rock star is embarrassing. 

darthvedder

eeriepadave said:

Does it really matter? Most of these types of bands from the 90's don't have most of their original members anyway (Bush, Filter, Stabbing Westward, Sponge, etc....) And their last "good" album they put out was arguably  "The Distance to Here" and even I don't think it was that's great. Still kinda weird story though i'll admit.

Don't forget Third Eye Blind. They might have the record for most lawsuits between original members.

Ed Kowalczyk's solo career never took off, so it doesn't surprise me he's trying to do "Live" gigs with other people. A lot of people just associate bands with the lead singer and don't care about other members anyway.

2-feign-reluctance

Chris Shinn posted a photo of him and Patrick recently. If I’m completely assuming, looks like a reconciliation of sorts. As for LIVE, I will still always love those first 3 records. 

pjl44

Tim Simmons said:

I think its possible everyone involved sucks. 

I'm not sure what Ed is doing wrong. Typically, insisting on an outsized share or just paying the other guys salaries is a rock star dick move. In this case I see a singer watching the rest of the band get caught up in harebrained financial schemes and bringing lawsuits and bickering to the table. But he needs them (or their blessing) to tour as Live. Guy just wants to write and play music. Sounds like it sucks.

JT167846

Yeah Ed was largely responsible for the first breakup but think he's doing the right thing and best he can with what he's got here. Even Taylor is giving his blessing to the touring band. I remember The Flood And The Mercy having a couple of good tunes. Would have loved a full reunion where he sang the Turn stuff and the band played his solo songs but not naive enough to entertain any expectations of that. I'd probably go see this version of Live-Mother Earth is a banger they've been busting out. Gracey is doing play through videos on YouTube for anyone interested. Probably trying to remind people he can still play drums ha.